Migrant exodus 'Statement complete false': Arvind Kejriwal counters PM Modi's remark on migrant exodus
New Delhi/IBNS: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday vociferously protested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment that his government had contributed to the spread of Covid-19 by enabling the migrant labourers to go home after the lockdown was declared in 2020.
Kejriwal declared that the Prime Minister's statement was "blatant lies" and accused him of playing politics on the "sufferings of the people".
"This statement of Prime Minister is completely false. The country hopes that the Prime Minister will be sensitive to those who have suffered the pain of the Corona period, those who have lost their loved ones. It does not suit the Prime Minister to do politics on the sufferings of the people," his tweet in Hindi read.
प्रधानमंत्री जी का ये बयान सरासर झूठ है। देश उम्मीद करता है कि जिन लोगों ने कोरोना काल की पीड़ा को सहा, जिन लोगों ने अपनों को खोया, प्रधानमंत्री जी उनके प्रति संवेदनशील होंगे। लोगों की पीड़ा पर राजनीति करना प्रधानमंत्री जी को शोभा नहीं देता। pic.twitter.com/Dd4NsRNGCY
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 7, 2022
In his address in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi criticised the opposition for pushing people to break lockdown guidelines.
"In the time of coronavirus, the Congress crossed all limits. When experts advised staying where you are, Congress encouraged migrant labourers to move," he said.
The Congress Party has crossed all limits in this time of COVID-19.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2022
During the first wave, when people were following lockdowns, guidelines were suggesting that people stay where they are, the Congress was standing at Mumbai Station and scaring innocent people: PM Modi
"During the first wave, you (Congress) gave free train tickets to migrant workers to leave Mumbai. At the same time, the Delhi government told migrant workers to leave the city and provided them with buses. As a result, Covid spread rapidly in Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand," Modi slammed even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi.
Those who are still in the Delhi Government used microphones, went to residential areas and told people to leave.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 7, 2022
Till when will such politics continue: PM @narendramodi
His remarks drew flak from other opposition party members too.
Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat termed the Prime Minister's remarks "unfortunate".
"The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi has done a lot of work for the labourers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh during lockdown. We took care of them and when they wanted to go home, we got their tickets… The responsibility that the central government should have taken, we shouldered it," he said.
Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi asserted that they will "make this mistake (of providing food and shelter to migrants) 100 times over .. for humanity".
"4 hours before lockdown announced, trains stopped, interstate travel stopped. Migrants- majorly daily wage labourers were left stranded. If looking after them - with food and shelter was wrong in the eyes of the PM, then will make this mistake 100 times over .. for humanity," she wrote on Twitter.
4 hours before lockdown announced, trains stopped, interstate travel stopped. Migrants- majorly daily wage labourers were left stranded. If looking after them - with food and shelter was wrong in the eyes of the PM, then will make this mistake 100 times over .. for humanity.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) February 7, 2022
The migrant crisis was one of the key issues during the outbreak of the pandemic which the opposition has blamed on the government for handling the crisis
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